Long Cool Spring: Great Year for Azaleas

Well, for the last several years, I've complained bitterly about short springs, no transition from spring to summer, and a near total lack of rain from June through August. Last summer we even had restrictions on water use, so watering was limited to gray water that I saved for the most desperately thirsty potted plants.

This year is different. Spring was long, cool, and wet. The azalea blooms were vibrant, and they lingered as if they just hated to leave.

Large azalea plantings in the shade garden

Gardenia type white azalea bloom

One of my favorite azaleas is George Lindley Taber, which has a heady fragrance that always evokes memories of my childhood and my parents' massive azalea plantings. This  tall and wide growing azalea is very effective when planted in drifts. It needs space, but it's beautiful.

That old favorite azalea, George Lindley Taber